Body style: Hatchback
Segment: Mini
Production years: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
Citroen tried to develop a new vehicle to replace the aging 2CV, and the Visa seemed to be the perfect answer for that. In some way, it did, since it managed to sell in high numbers and in a few shapes.
By the late '70s, Citroen already knew that the hatchbacks were on the rise. Volkswagen already proved that with the boxy-looking Golf, and Honda also did well with the Civic. The French brand, on the other hand, relied on the Ami lineup to compete in the segment, and it was not doing it too well simply because that car had an unusual, rather ugly, design. And then, the Visa came.
Even though it sported a boxy design, the narrow front end, and the slightly curved body panels were a delight, at least compared to the Ami. Moreover, the carmaker ditched the oval-shaped headlights and replaced them with rectangular ones. Due to the fact that it featured air-cooled engines, it didn't need a large grille, so a smaller one was put in place. From the sides, the four-door version featured flush door handles. At the back, the raked-forward tailgate allowed for easy loading of luggage into the trunk.
The interior was cramped for the rear seats but very generous for the front passengers, thanks to the small engine placed in front of the gearbox. An unusual dashboard design led to a pair of side stacks next to the instrument cluster, one of them featuring the turn signal switches.
Under the hood, the carmaker placed a small range of flat engines, starting with a two-cylinders. As an option, the carmaker added a flat-four powerplant that provided an even better fuel efficiency than its smaller displacement engine.
ENGINE SPECS - 0.7L 4MT (36 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | B2 |
Displacement: | 652 cm3 |
Power: | 26 KW @ 5500 RPM 35 HP @ 5500 RPM 35 BHP @ 5500 RPM |
Torque: | 38 lb-ft @ 3500 RPM 51 Nm @ 3500 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 10.6 gallons (40.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 77 mph (124 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 26.2 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 135SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 145.3 in (3691 mm) |
Width: | 59.4 in (1509 mm) |
Height: | 55.5 in (1410 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 50.8/48.8 in (1,290/1,240 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 95.7 in (2431 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5.2 in (132 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 10.6 cuFT (300 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 1620.4 lbs (735 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 2347.9 lbs (1065 kg) |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.1L 4MT (57 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1124 cm3 |
Power: | 41 KW @ 6250 RPM 56 HP @ 6250 RPM 55 BHP @ 6250 RPM |
Torque: | 58 lb-ft @ 3000 RPM 79 Nm @ 3000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 10.6 gallons (40.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 89.5 mph (144 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 16.6 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 135SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 145.3 in (3691 mm) |
Width: | 59.4 in (1509 mm) |
Height: | 55.5 in (1410 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 50.8/48.8 in (1,290/1,240 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 95.7 in (2431 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5.2 in (132 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 10.6 cuFT (300 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 1763.7 lbs (800 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 2667.6 lbs (1210 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 30.5 mpg US (7.7 L/100Km) |